It's About The Horse

Julie · Member Joined: 07 Feb 2009 Posts: 1297

Some notes I have made when asked about youg horse 3/4 years.

They keep growing for a while but its a basic development of growth plates. The ligaments soften as the seasons change and they get less bum high than more wither low as everything softens with hormonal changes and widens. Then as they build muscle again the withers come up as the ligaments change again. With careful fitting the same saddle should actually fit from the beginning, the skeleton does not change as much as the muscles build up. The saddle sits on a fairly static part of the skeleton, the variable being the shoulder width and development - which can be a lot with a hipo. using the this shims enables you to adjust the saddle maually as required as the wither changes , keeping optimum balance, which allows the muscle to develop evenly.

When young they have soft muscle, the saddle almost sinks in - this is when people tend to fit narrower saddles, but the saddle just actually needs more support on the soft muscle.

A cheaper saddle can be fine so long as its the corrrect shape tree and wide enough, however most of the cheaper saddles are not the optimum shape for any youngster. The Thorowgood cob is one of the very few with a nice flat tree. The dissection we did , along with the flexion of the bare spine was illuminating in seeing where a saddle actually sits, the muscles involved and the spinal processes. It brings it all to life, I cannot look at a spine without thinking of it 'naked' anymore. The only variables are the length of spinal process, the shoulders and length of back. The tiny movement available in the spine is not really the bone, but all caused by muscle development. No muscle development means no topline, no lifting, no movement, no engagement. Less development compromises all of these. Less rider balance also compromises all of these. you get the width, balance and rider all supported as the horse moves, by fitting the moving not the static frame and your horse will engage as its the most comfy position for him - life is much easier

It makes you wonder why a saddle needs flexibility as the spine does not flex - about 2% of movement in the spine is under the saddle. Its all muscle movement.
hen they move horses lift front or back, sometimes both. Q and Callum lift front, Josh and Squirrel lift back. Their saddles are the same but fitted differently according to how they mov when ridden. Squirrel takes up to 40 minutes to warm up - how can you fit him without watching for 40 minutes to see what he does. You then change the saddle slightly to fit and next time he is lifting his back and working in 10 minutes, this is the comfy shape for him and makes it so easy. No effort at all.

Its all about the fit, the skeleton and the saddle shape!
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DaisyMae · Member Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 235 Location: UK

Any more notes... keep 'em coming

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Antonia, making my own way with:
Sir Rupert - Donkey.
Polly - Miniature pony.
Daisy Mae, her brother Rudolph and Edith- 3 mad mules!
Ophelia Rose - Fell x Hackney.

Julie · Member Joined: 07 Feb 2009 Posts: 1297

Does that all make sense Antonia?

I am doing my website, and looking for nice recommendations....
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DaisyMae · Member Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 235 Location: UK

cynthia peterson · Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2011 4:01 pm Post subject:

Excellent, Julie! The first time I ride a "virgin" colt I feel like I'm on a rail. That is why I have varying size, width, of saddle blankets. When I get on some one's mature horse, and it still feels like I'm still sitting on a rail (these are stock horses, and Arabians that naturally have wide backs) it sure is telling the horse has taken away the back from the rider for so long there is nothing there.